Electric vehicle reviews, news, and analysis

$200 Bolt EV service manual arriving soon

Some of us have been eagerly waiting for a new book and its not the latest Stephen King novel or investigative political exposé.

It’s an automotive service manual. The kind that your local repair shop might have although many of them now gain access through online subscriptions. It is GM’s official 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV service manual.

An old-fashioned paper-bound copy of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt manual came in 3 large separate books with likely more than 2,000 pages between them. Altogether, they weighed in at 15.6 pounds. The Bolt EV manual will arrive as a USB memory stick weighing around a quarter of an ounce or about 1,000 times less.

The manual comes from Helm Inc. which distributes many of the service and owner manuals for about 20 automotive brands. The company has posted a notice saying that the Bolt EV service manual is expected to ship for $199.99 on April 13, 2018.

The manual is likely to be revealing even if you don’t own a Bolt EV but are technically inclined and want to know more about electric vehicles. It will likely show all of the individual parts going into each component and include overview descriptions of how they work, give their vital technical specifications, and describe various repair procedures. The manual also likely includes full wiring charts and diagrams.

Another useful feature is complete descriptions of the various error codes readable with an OBD II diagnostic tool, their meaning, and how to diagnose what is causing them. This can help owners understand their options when problems eventually arise and a dealer or other mechanic shop is proposing authorization to make repairs.

A description of the manual and a link to an email notification list is available here.